Dave Chappelle was violently attacked by a crazed audience member while performing at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday, May 3.
The comedian was performing as part of the Netflix Is A Joke festival when 23 year old Isaiah Lee charged the stage wielding a knife and a fake handgun.
Dave Chappelle Attacked By Crazed Audience Member While On Stage At The Hollywood Bowl
Video footage of the attack shows Chappelle standing on stage towards the end of his set at around 10:45 pm when Lee charges at him and slams him to the ground. The irate suspect was seen being tackled by security moments later.
Lee was reportedly pointing the fake gun at Chappelle as he raced toward him, raising many concerns regarding safety at the venue. Visitors must walk through metal detectors prior to gaining entry, leaving questions surrounding how the suspect was able to bypass security and sneak weapons into the facility.
Isaiah Lee was ‘arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon’ and was being held on $30,000 bail according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Chappelle reportedly had no injuries following the attack but the same could not be said for Lee, who was taken away on a stretcher after dislocating his arm when he ambushed Chappelle.
A source present at the event revealed that several people in the crowd attempted to stop the suspect from storming the stage, saying “the mob caught up with him and beat the crap out of him, stomping on him.”
Prior to being bombarded during the show, Chappelle joked about the status of his safety, telling the crowd “This is my new security,” before quipping that people “had it out for him.” Chappelle has been the subject of controversy in recent months for his jokes that were deemed offensive by the transgender community.
Shortly after the attack, Chris Rock made an appearance on stage and gave Chappelle a hug while asking, “Was that Will Smith?”. Of course, this was a clear jab at the infamous slap that Smith unleashed on Rock during the 2022 Oscars following a joke that Rock made about Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Chappelle is said to have carried on with the show following the unexpected assault before telling the audience, “That was a trans man. I don’t know if that was part of the show. I grabbed the back of that n—-s head, his hair was spongy, absorbent.”
